An experience this week of the Buddhist principle of Dependent arising which reminds us that we are deeply intertwined with the world around us.
Seed or small rocks caught under the wiper blades meant I needed a new windscreen. When I collected the car, I also collected an “Airbag system malfunction” message on the dashboard. The warning was noticeable as soon as I started the car giving me the chance to ask why before leaving.
“Nothing to do with us. We don’t touch the airbag system. All we do is plug in to reconfigure the sensors related to the windscreen. You might need to take it into your car dealer and have them check it.” (wrings hands of the problem)
I bit my lip and left. Internally I called, “bullshit!”
Unfortunately I had to spend a week driving and wondering if the airbag would work should I need it. It wasn’t until this morning that I could get the car in for service.
An easy fix. When the windscreen was replaced, the technician forgot to connect the windscreen airbag sensors1. Remember, “Nothing to do with us.”
We all make mistakes and this is a case of a moment’s oversight. What was the cost?
- I lost 10 minutes, plus the manager’s time when the problem first arose.
- I easily lost an hour with my first visit to the car dealership and follow up call with my insurer to see if any repairs were covered under the windscreen claim. To their credit, they would be. That’s most of an hour of other people’s time as well.
- I lost an hour today walking between the service centre and work, to drop off and later collect my car.
- The car dealership lost time this morning investigating. A couple of hours.
- The windscreen repairer will lose time paying the dealership bill for repair (the dealership sent the bill for their time direct which for my part is good customer service).
I’ve described a simple example where around six hours of life across as many people have been wasted by one forgetting a routine windscreen replacement step. Despite the simplicity, it is a reminder that our action, or in this case, inaction, have real consequences beyond our immediate world.
Footnotes
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The airbag sensors in the windscreen help detect the force of an impact and so the timing of airbag inflation for best protection. ↩